On festivals, feminism and community productions: A BABES FEST '17 Recap

Photo by Sara Marjorie Strick for BABES FEST '17 on July 29 at Empire Control Room & Garage

cheers to BABES FEST '17.

With 52 acts in three days, this festival was stacked with an unmatched array of talent in comedy music and film. Thanks to you, #wedidthat.

Click here to get a feel for our herstory on Texas Monthly. Read on for a recap of our second year.

(This was only year two! cheers to many more.)

Photo by Pooneh Ghana for BABES FEST '17 on July 27 at The North Door

comedy on July 27

Improv. Sketch. Stand-up. BABES FEST started with an evening of comedy at The North Door. We opened the night with 14-year-old improv troupe Roundhouse and closed the bill with standup by Nikita Redkar. In between? Performances by the likes of Avery Moore, Carina Magyar, Loverboy Comedy (pictured) and tap-dancing sketch queen Linzy Beltran. Click here for info all 15 performers.

Photo by Tess Cagle for BABES FEST '17 on July 28 at the Austin School of Film

film on July 28

With four viewing rooms, we turned the Austin School of Film into an exploratory warehouse, debuting and screening works by 25+ filmmakers in Texas and nationwide. From music videos likeBubblegum by Helmut Studio to documentaries like Maisie Crow'sJackson: The Film, we packed a house in support of indie films with women both behind and in front of the lens. Highlights of the night included the premiere of local filmmaking collective Fembeat's fourth episode, a surprise preview of Fum Fum Ko's comedic series Nneka the Uber Driver and dreamy animations by Jeanne Stern.

Photo by Sara Marjorie Strick for BABES FEST '17 on July 29 at Empire Control Room & Garage

music on July 29

On Day 3, we curated two multigenre stages at Empire Control Room & Garage, featuring fire sets by San Antonio-based alt-rock band Femina-X, BABES FEST alum and RnB come-up Alesia Lani (pictured), sunshine pop rock band The Reputations, Dallas-based rapper Sam Lao and other Texas-based favorites. To toast the close of the night (and the fest), Ladiearth led us in a twerk-shop and Chulita Vinyl Club spun us to 2 AM. Get the full lineup here.

Photo by Sara Marjorie Strick for BABES FEST '17 on July 29 at Empire Control Room & Garage